We all have our own little ways of keeping ourselves in our happy place. I truly believe the key to staying there is to prioritise the things that make YOU tick. If accepting that invite to a party or joining drinks after work just makes your mind whirl for a feasible excuse, then simply decline the offer. At times, we can feel pressure to be social, to step out of our comfort zone and to connect with others. But sometimes others have the power to alter and challenge your values for worse.

In an effort to keep up with our busy social lives, sometimes we can lose the connection with our own true self. While holidays and spa retreats can be a great way to re-set and re-connect, it’s the little things we do everyday, the rituals and the time we carve out to do the things we love, that have the most profound effect on our connection with self. For me, cooking is something that keeps me sane on a daily basis. No matter how long my day has been, or how tired I am, I pour a glass of the red stuff, throw on my apron and unwind. For this reason, I urge you to find that ‘thing’ that you love, whatever that may be.

Now that the sun has put its hat on, the cravings for healthy, fresh and nutritious meals that are light on the stomach but heavy on the tastebuds have certainly kicked in. If there’s one vegetable that is deserving of the title superfood, it’s the beetroot. Not only does it host a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants but it has been clinically proven to improve exercise stamina. It’s amazingly versatile in the kitchen and adds an amazing pop of colour to your plate (just remember to handle with caution around your white clothes, I’m now the not so proud owner of a pink stained blouse!)

These vibrant beetroot and feta patties are delicious. They’re vegetarian, high in protein and fibre, low in fat and calories and are also a sneaky way of getting veggies into little ones. Perfect to serve alone as nibbles, for a tasty lunch, a light dinner and ideal for those balmy BBQs. Here I served the pretty purple patties in toasted flatbreads with a quick homemade tzatziki, sweet baby peas, pickled shallots, cucumber slices and a squeeze of lemon.

Recipe:

For the patties:

200g cooked beetroot, grated (To save time I buy ready cooked beetroot in the chilled isle of the supermarket)

200g feta, crumbled

3 spring onions, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

*100g fresh breadcrumbs

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil, for cooking

For the tzatziki:

150g full fat greek yogurt

1/2 small cucumber, finely diced

3 crushed garlic cloves

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp lemon juice

Zest of 1/4 lemon

Salt and Pepper to taste

To serve:

Tzatziki, salad leaves, mint, sliced cucumber, lemon wedges, blanched peas, shallots.

1. To make the patties, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Shape into small patties (roughly 20) and leave to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes. To cook, heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook them in batches for 4-5 minutes on each side until crispy and golden. Remove onto kitchen towel. Meanwhile, mix all of the tzatziki ingredients together.

2. To serve, warm the flatbreads (can be done over a naked flame to char a little but the oven or a dry frying pan works well too) and fill with the patties, tzatziki, peas, cucumber, shallots and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Enjoy!

x Anya

Body Catalyst Therapist

* As a gluten free option replace the breadcrumbs for 75g of rolled oats and to increase intake of whole-grain and fibre.